Camel husbandry is one of the oldest branches of animal husbandry. Humans began domesticating camels as early as 5000 BC. Ecological, behavioral, and physiological studies have proven that camels are among the best animals to utilize desert environments. Camels live in harsh and difficult environments, making them of great importance to humans. However, camels have been largely overlooked by the scientific community. Researching and mastering camel husbandry techniques is a crucial part of improving camel productivity. The application of new management technologies can significantly expand the utilization of camels and their products.
The physiological mechanisms of camels are of great interest today. Although camels are ruminants, some of their anatomical features differ from those of true ruminants. Adult camels have two incisors in the upper jaw; camels lack a rumen, whereas true ruminants have a separated third stomach that is responsible for water reabsorption; camels do not have a gallbladder, and their hooves are reduced to claw-like toes, which protrude beyond the pads of the feet.
Among all animals, camels are the most efficient in water conservation, and they can adjust the absorption of water and salt in their colon, as well as the excretion rate of their kidneys. Camels do not need to sweat to regulate body temperature, thus conserving water. The body temperature of a camel can range from 34°C in the early morning to over 41°C in the afternoon. This is because camels store heat during the day and gradually release it through conduction and convection in the evening to reduce body temperature. When camels lose water, they reduce their metabolic rate to save water. Furthermore, camels adapt behaviorally by minimizing the surface area exposed to the sun and limiting activity during the hottest part of the day. Camels also change their fur: in winter, they have a woolly coat, while in summer, their coat becomes smooth and shiny with reflective properties. Camels in the equatorial regions do not shed their fur but maintain a smooth, reflective coat year-round. Camel humps are not water reservoirs, nor are they the only energy stores; their primary function is to concentrate body fat, thus minimizing the fat beneath the skin, which helps control the rate of cooling in colder environments.
Camels have a preference for seasonal forage and tend to leave some grasses unconsumed during grazing. In arid regions, roughage can also affect the composition and flavor of camel milk. When camels graze in fields dominated by Chenopodiaceae plants, the milk has a salty taste, and when grazing in fields with many tamarisk trees, the milk has a flavor resembling that of cabbage. The composition of roughage directly influences the fat and protein content of milk.
In dry areas, camels can efficiently utilize plants that other livestock cannot consume, such as camelthorn, tamarisk, and saltbush. Only in years with sufficient rainfall can camels graze on a small amount of annual herbs from late summer to early winter. For most of the year, camels primarily rely on perennial shrubs and semi-shrub plants for grazing. Within the same area, camels utilize forage more efficiently than other livestock. Even in the face of limited feed sources in arid regions, camels can maintain their growth and production, thanks to their specialized ability to extract nutrients from food. Camels prefer annual grasses over perennial grasses, but this preference is not due to the water content of the plants. It is likely because these grasses are more palatable and nutrient-rich, with higher protein content.
In desert-like grasslands, some of the forages that camels particularly favor include the saltbush, Artemisia, camel thorn, tamarisk, and others. Any of these forages can be used to measure the daily dry matter intake of camels. Camels often enjoy grazing on shrubs and semi-shrub plants, which occupy a large proportion of the pasture. The energy camels obtain from shrubs and semi-shrub plants is no less than that obtained from young grasses.
A single-humped camel’s daily intake of forage and water remains relatively constant, especially for water, as the water content in forage remains almost unchanged. Regardless of the type of pasture, camels spend 8 to 10 hours per day grazing. Camels have a relatively low feed intake, consuming about 8-12 kilograms of dry matter per day, equivalent to about 30-40 kilograms of forage with 80% moisture content. However, camels only consume about 10-20 kilograms of fresh forage daily, which corresponds to 5-10 kilograms of dry matter.
Camels can survive on as little as 5 kilograms of dry forage for several months, and their minimum daily requirement is about 2 kilograms of dry forage. Camels consume 1-5 grams per mouthful from shrubs and semi-shrub plants, and can consume as much as 20 grams per mouthful. They may consume 200 to 700 mouthfuls per hour. To search for food, camels can travel 20-30 kilometers per day. If the temperature does not exceed 25°C, they can graze continuously. During the hottest part of the day, camels rest, especially on sand dunes, where the heat radiation from the sun easily transfers to the ground. On particularly hot days, herders allow camels to rest during the day and let them graze in the evening.
